Avestar Capital LLC Increases Stock Holdings in HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA)

Avestar Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of HCA Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:HCA) by 27.5% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,149 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 248 shares during the period. Avestar Capital LLC’s holdings in HCA Healthcare were worth $345,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. MML Investors Services LLC lifted its position in shares of HCA Healthcare by 31.7% during the 3rd quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 17,816 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,241,000 after buying an additional 4,285 shares in the last quarter. Meritage Group LP purchased a new position in shares of HCA Healthcare during the 3rd quarter valued at about $150,548,000. Galvin Gaustad & Stein LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter worth approximately $18,044,000. Alpha DNA Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $869,000. Finally, NRI Wealth Management LC purchased a new position in HCA Healthcare in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,896,000. 62.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

HCA Healthcare Stock Performance

Shares of HCA Healthcare stock opened at $316.18 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $313.30 and its two-hundred day moving average is $352.55. The company has a market capitalization of $80.09 billion, a PE ratio of 14.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 1.64. The company has a quick ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 69.07. HCA Healthcare, Inc. has a 52 week low of $289.98 and a 52 week high of $417.14.

HCA Healthcare (NYSE:HCA) last issued its earnings results on Friday, January 24th. The company reported $6.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.03 by $0.19. HCA Healthcare had a return on equity of 586.47% and a net margin of 8.16%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $5.90 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that HCA Healthcare, Inc. will post 24.98 earnings per share for the current year.

HCA Healthcare Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 17th will be issued a $0.72 dividend. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.91%. This is a boost from HCA Healthcare’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.66. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 17th. HCA Healthcare’s dividend payout ratio is currently 13.11%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut HCA Healthcare from an “equal weight” rating to an “underweight” rating and lowered their price target for the stock from $400.00 to $320.00 in a report on Monday, November 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $380.00 price objective on shares of HCA Healthcare in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Barclays reduced their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $392.00 to $366.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Raymond James downgraded HCA Healthcare from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Oppenheimer lifted their price objective on HCA Healthcare from $390.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, HCA Healthcare has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $385.67.

About HCA Healthcare

HCA Healthcare, Inc, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates hospitals and related healthcare entities in the United States. It operates general and acute care hospitals that offers medical and surgical services, including inpatient care, intensive care, cardiac care, diagnostic, and emergency services; and outpatient services, such as outpatient surgery, laboratory, radiology, respiratory therapy, cardiology, and physical therapy.